Bar President Ümit Kocasakal from Turkey meets the UIA Governing Board during its September 20, 2013 meeting in Nice

At the Governing Board meeting in Nice recently on September 20, several UIA officials also had the pleasure of meeting with the Istanbul Bar President, Ümit Kocasakal, who had been invited by President Burguburu to testify to the condition of lawyers in Turkey, especially with regard to the charges against himself.

In fact, on May 17, 2013, the Bar President had appeared before the 2^nd Criminal Court of First Instance of Silivri, around 70 km from Istanbul, accused of "an attempt to influence the judge." Along with nine members of the Bar Council, he is being prosecuted for having, while performing his professional duties as a Bar President, condemned the serious dysfunctions and pressure brought to bear on defence lawyers in the legal proceedings known in Turkey as “Balyoz” (Sledgehammer) – a coup d'état attempt that had taken place in 2003. 

The case was postponed to January 7, 2014. Ümit Kocasakal and the nine Bar Council members run the risk of being sentenced to 2-4 years of imprisonment under Article 277 of the Turkish Criminal Code, along with that of being disbarred.

The Bar President was particularly eloquent and the Assembly, concerned about the situation faced by Turkish lawyers, was deeply moved by his account.